The spring retainer of this invention has many applications, but is particularly useful as part of an accumulator in a valve assembly for controlling the flow of transmission fluid to a torque converter of an automotive vehicle. Such valve assemblies typically have a valve for controlling flow from a pressure port through an outlet port to the torque converter. An accumulator is provided to absorb sudden surges or spikes in pressure. The accumulator includes a piston, a spring pressing on the piston, and a retainer for the spring. In the past, the retainer has been a simple disk-like element which is installed through a slot in a wall of the valve body. However, this simple retainer is prone to falling out through the slot especially when the pressure on the spring is reduced.
The retainer of the present invention has a locking tab. The slot in the valve body is notched so that when the spring is compressed sufficiently, as by a suitable tool, the notch will clear the tab so that the retainer can be inserted. When the tool is removed and the full pressure of the spring is applied against the retainer, the retainer is forced back against an abutment to a position in which the tab is blocked by a wall of the valve body and the retainer cannot fall out.
Preferably, the retainer is in the form of a flat, generally U-shaped plate having legs spaced apart sufficiently to receive the tool when the tool is inserted into the valve body to compress the spring. The free ends of the legs are spaced apart laterally to provide an entrance to the opening and clear the tool during lateral insertion of the retainer.
One object of this invention is to provide a valve assembly including a valve body and spring retainer having the foregoing features and capabilities.
Another object is to provide a spring retainer which is rugged and durable in use, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install, impossible to install incorrectly, and locked against falling out.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent as the following description proceeds, especially when considered with the accompanying drawings and claims.